Golf-club construction



` 5, 1929. I A, E, 4BUHRKE 1,704,119

GOLF CLUB CONSTRUCTION Filed Dec. 9, 1927 @www y y. ,2M/725%? e Patented Mar. 5, 1929i.

UNTEDv STATES Amann n. Burman, or nivnn ronnsT, inLiNoIls, Assionon Tor/n. H. BUHRKE or'onrcaeo, inninois, a oonronnrion on iLLNoIs. y

g v i,miisi PATEN'roFFIcE;

GOLF-CLUB oonsTnnoTIoN.

Application mea December e, leer.V serial No. 238,747.

This invention relates to golf club con-y struction and has special reierence `to a ylocking means `lorl securing inserts in the striking `tace ot' the head of the golf club.

More particularly, this invention relates to a means for locking the securing means oi" an insert or a group'of inserts in the striking tace of a golf club in suoli a manner as kwill minimize the hazardsV engen* dered by the alterable qualities of the 'material of the gol'ix clubhead whereby a maX- imnm of eiiiciency is obtained therein to secure the proper impact when striking the ball. Heretoiore inserts have been partially orwholly threaded or threaded and glued within the goll:l club head whereupon' any expanding of the golirI club head. permits the insert to become loosened which materially affects the flight of the ball. Moreover,` this expansion of the golf club head causes a splitting thereof particularly at the smooth portiono the insert adjacent the threaded portion thereof. Further, glue is lsubject to climatic conditions and will not tend to .aid in holding the inserts in place unless these conditionsy are desira- Y ble.

In` the present construction, it is clesirable to use impact inserts which are smooth and one of which is Lpreferably of metal,

they being so constructed and arranged as to minimize the objections due to the eX- pansion or contraction of the material of the golf club head. This construction is further enhanced by means oi the inserts being held in position within the gell1 club head so as to prevent the same from moving `forwardly or rearwardly or otherwise becoming loosened in any manner, the latter being accomplished by/ineans of a soleplate which locks the securing means within the golf club head. `llt is preferable that the sole plate is not connected in any mannerv directly or indirectly with the impact inserts in order not to interfere with the :vibrations set up within the golf club heady upon impact with the golf ball.

One of the objects of this'invention is to provide an improved means for holding the insert or inserts in a fixed relation with vthe body portion of they club headso as to prevent the inserts from moving forward or becoming displaced by reason lof the AV further object of this invention is tov provide acoinmon locking member for a plurality of inserts in a golf club head.

A. stillfurther object of thisinvention )is to provide acgolf club construction which is pleasing in appearance and which is simple in construction. i ,Further objects and advantages of this invention will be apparent from the description and drawings forming a part of this specification tofwhich latter referencem may now behad for a morecomplete understanding of the` characteristic features of thisinvention, in which drawings :k

`Figure l is a front elevational View of they gol-f club head in which one formof thisinvention is embodied; y

Fig.-2 is a viewfsimilar to Fig. 1 showing a portion thereof in section; y Y, i

Fig. 3 is a central sectional view tekenen the line 3 3 of Fig.v l;

"Fig L.tis a ironty elevational view of the golf club head in which another form `of l this invention is embodied;y

Fig. 5 is a view similar vto Fig. 4 showing a portion thereof in section; and r Figx is a central sectional view taken on the line 6 6 of Fig. e. i

Referring now to the drawings and more particularly to Figs. l, 2 and 3 thereof `a golf club head1() is shown which is of wood or other suitable material. A face plate ll oi: iber, hard rubber orother suitable material is inlaid in the striking face 12 of using avtough materialkt'or the face plate 'l suoliy as isi*,described` above, the golf club head maybe subgected to a greater abuse .than were the face plate formed of the same ingthe golf club headordinarily extends` paralleljwith the striking face 12. If va woodl insert were usedyit would be preferamsy the head. `It is readily apparent that by ble to have the grain thereof extend substantially at right angles to the striking face 12.`

An impact insert 13, preferably of metal and substantially cylindrical in form, is einbedded in a soclretl in snug engagementtherewith. The socliet is preferably coun-- gagement with the insert.

'A plurality of auxiliary impact inserts 16 are disposed adjacent the periphery of the head 15 ofthe impact insert 13 and are preferably formed of ivory or a material of like density and hardness. ils shown more particularly in Fig. 2 of the drawing, a pin 1,7 is projected from the bottom surface of the golf club head therethrough and through two of the impact inserts 16. The remaining impact inserts are likewise held in position bymeans of another pin 17. in order that these securing means for the inserts be held in a position such that the impact of the blow of the golf club head on the golf ball will not cause them to become loosened, a sole plate 18 is secured to the bottom of the body portion of the club head as by means of a plurality of screws 19 suitably arranged around the bottom of the plate. It will thus be apparent that after the securing means have lbeen positioned so as to cause the inserts to assume av ixed relation with the golf club head, they will not be permitted to loosen and will, therefore, hold the inserts in a desired fixed relation with the club head. Y

By referring now more particularly to Figs. L1, 5 and 6, a similar arrangement has been shown wherein a greater number of auxiliary inserts 16 have been provided. rlhje insert 13 which, as in the preceding embodiment, is of metal, is also of the same substantially cylindrical shape and is seated in a socket in the saine manner as previously described. ln this particular embodiment, vfive inserts 16 have been provided whereby the two end inserts are held in the saine manner as previously described, that is, by pins 17'. auxiliary insert is held by means of a pin 2O which also holds the metal insert 13 in position, the pin passing through one edge of the insert 13 from the bottom of the club and extending up tl rough the auxiliary insert. After. the pins have been inserted in the bottom of the golfclub, the sole plate 18 is attached to the bottom of the However, 'the centrally disposed.

golf club head and the pins are locked in position and cannot be loosened.

itwill be apparentl that were seven of these auxiliary inserts 16 to `be employed, the three end inserts on each side may be held by a pin common to all and the centrally disposed insert maybe held by a pin common to the metal insert 13. This construction may, of course, be varied at will without effecting the material effectiveness thereof.

rllie metal insert- 13 in both the previously described instances serves a further function of locking the face plate 11 in position on the striking facev 12 of the golf club head. The vmaterial of these various elements may be distinctively colored and so arranged as to produce a striking and ornamental design.

By reason of this construction, the auxiliary' inserts 16 and the metal insert 13 are securely anchored in the olf club head by means of the pins 17 and 19, which latter are in turn locked in a position such that they cannot become loosened as by means of the sole plate 18. By thus locking the inserts in position in the golf club head, it has been found unnecessaryv to provide glue or screw threads on the inserts, which latter means are undesirable because of the alterable qualities of` the material of the golf club head. rThese qualities, as before described, cause the splitting ofthe club head and permit the inserts to become loosened so that a solid blow cannot be transmitted to the golfv` ball. Moreover, it has been found very desirable to use a metal insert for the reason that it affords a requisite resistance and solidity which enable the user to continue the stroke after the force kof impact has been transmitted to give the proper direction to the ball and to control the flight thereof. This latter is referred to as the follow through in the language of the golfers and is not possible were material used which would reboundupon the force of impact.

W'hile several embodiments ofl this invention have been herein shown and described,it is to be understood that many modifications thereof may become apparent to one skilled in the art Without departing from the spirit and scope of this invention and it is desired that the same Shall be limited by the scope of the appended claims and the showing of the prior art.

I claim:

1. The combination with the head of a golf club, of an insert set flush with the striking face of said head, a plurality of auxiliary inserts grouped adjacent said irst mentioned insert, and a common means for passing through and for securing a plurality of said inserts ina fixed relation with said club head.

2. The combination with the head of a golf club, of an insert set iush with the striking face of said head, a plurality of auxiliary inserts grouped adjacent said first mentioned insert, and a pin for engaging a plurality of said inserts for holding the same in a fixed relation with said clubhead.

3. The combination with the" head of a golf club and afface plate therefor, of an insert comprising a body portion and a head portion, said head portion being seated in said face plate and having the outer surface thereof set flush with the outer surface of said face plate, a plurality of auxiliary inserts grouped adjacent said first mentioned insert,Vv and a vpin forengaging a plurality of said inserts for holding the same in a iixed relation with said base whereby said face therewith.

t. The combination with the head of a golf club, of an insert set flush with the striking face of said head, a plurality of auxiliary inserts grouped adjacent said first mentioned insert, a pin for engaging a plurality of said inserts for holding the same in a fixed relation with said club head and means for locking said pin.

5. The combination with the head of a.

golf cliib, of an insert setfiush with the A striking face of said head, a plurality of auxiliary inserts grouped adjacent said first .mentioned insert, and a common means exn tending from the lower surface of said club head passing through .and securing a plurality of said inserts in a fixed relation with said club head, and means on the bottom of said head for locking said securing means.

6. The combination with the head of a plate is held in a fixed relationl golf club, of an insert set iiush with the striking face of said head, a plurality of auxiliary inserts grouped'adjacent said first mentioned insert, and a pin extending from the lower surface of saidclub head for engaging and securing a plurality of said inserts in afixed relationk with'said club head,

and means on the bottom of said head for locking said pin.

7. The combinationk with the head of golf club, of a metalv insert set flush with the striking face of said head, a plurality ofy auxiliaryl inserts grouped adjacentsaid first mentioned insert, and a pin extending from the lower surface of said club head for engaging and securing a plurality ofsaid` iiisertsina fixed relation with said club head, and a sole plate on the bottom of said head for locking said pin. Y

l8. The combination with the head of a golf club, of a metal insert having a head thereon set flush with the striking face of said head, a plurality of auxiliary insertsy grouped adjacent said first-mentioned insert, a plurality of pins extending from the bottom surface of said club head for engaging and securing said inserts in a fixed relation with said club head, each of said pins engaging more than one insert, and a sole i plate on the bottom surface of said club head 

